Flat out to prove a point

BULGARIA’S difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity — or should that be the other way around?

Giovanni Trapattoni’s team will walk out into the cauldron that is the open bowl of the Vassil Levski stadium here in Sofia tonight knowing that one point or three would represent a giant leap towards securing at least a runners-up spot in the race for qualification for the World Cup finals in South Africa.

For the home side, by contrast, nothing less than victory will suffice and, with their star names back on board and having taken a point in Dublin, the Bulgarians will throw everything at the visitors in a bid to keep their World Cup dream alive.